ACLU Sues Homeland Security Over No-Photo Policy at Borders

By |October 27, 2012

The American Civil Liberties Union sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, arguing that policies prohibiting the public from taking photos and video at international ports of entry violates the Constitution, the Los Angeles Times reports. The suit was filed on behalf of two activists who were attempting to document possible human rights abuses at California-Mexico border crossings.

U.S. authorities took the activists into custody and deleted their photos, the suit charged. It says the Customs and Border Protection agency prohibits the public from taking photos at or near ports of entry without permission. It calls the policy a violation of free-speech rights and protections against illegal search and seizure. “The border is not a Constitution-free zone,” said David Loy of the ACLU in San Diego.

Firearms thefts rose 37 percent increase, and the higher rate is continuing this year, says the Kansas City Star. Many gun owners are making it easy for criminals to propel the city's high rate of gun violence. They are stowing their guns carelessly in cars, not securing them in locked boxes, and failing to record serial numbers to help law enforcement if they are stolen.

“It’s kind of cutting-edge technology now,” said Assistant Chief Michael Kovacsev of St. Petersburg, Fl., which tested gun cameras this year. “One thing about the gun camera is you can actually see what’s going on. You actually get to see the viewpoint of the officer where the weapon is pointed.”

Corrections authorities believe encouraging “family-friendly” events inside penal institutions will motivate prisoners to change their behavior when they are released. But this is wishful thinking unless there’s better social support for reentry, writes an inmate at a Washington State penitentiary.